


Letting Go

by Tatchez



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Angry Alya Césaire, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Confused Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Identity Reveal, Idiots in Love, Jealous Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Jealousy, Love, Love Confessions, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Mild Language, Misunderstandings, My First Work in This Fandom, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, POV Multiple, Protective Alya Césaire, Sad Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-08-11 11:57:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20153215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatchez/pseuds/Tatchez
Summary: Marinette is finally ready to confess to Adrien, but not for the reason of being together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a little one-shot, but turned into more. Still, a warm up fic, if you will. It had been a long time since I had done any creative writing, so I looked for a prompt to just do some practice. Therefore, I know it is not the best writing I can do. If anyone else has any more prompt ideas for me, I'd love to hear them!

Marinette had finally had enough. She was going to tell Adrien that she loves him. After two years of pining after the sunshine haired boy, who had eyes made of gorgeous emeralds, she was finally going to do it. Alya wasn’t so sure, but Marinette was determined to show her that she could. For two years, she was unable to say what was really on her mind. For two years, she clung to every small moment they shared, hoping one day his feelings for her would change. For two years, she became more unsure and hurt by staying in an unrequited love.

Alya, although very supportive of her best friend’s love interest, also wanted to see Marinette happy. She suggested that she try to at least meet some new people and see what would come from it. After putting a lot of thought into the matter, Marinette agreed. She had already missed out on an amazing guy, one she couldn’t help but wonder if she had made the right decision in letting him go. Luka had loved Marinette, but after being pushed away due to Marinette’s inability to see any other guy other than Adrien; he moved on. He accepted it was never going to happen. After two years, maybe it was her turn to do the same, she thought. Time to accept the reality that Adrien would never see her as anything more than a friend.

Marinette resigned herself to confessing at the end of the school day. The day passed agonizingly slow. Every tick of the clock sent a pang to her chest. The anxiety she felt in her gut already starting to take over, energy pooling in her stomach, making her slightly queasy and she wasn’t even in front of him yet! Adrien was still seated in front of her, even after a couple of years passing by. She could smell his cologne, boy did he smell heavenly. Marinette’s eyelids drooping as she entered a dreamy state of mind, wondering how nice it would be to snuggle up to his chest, drinking in that intoxicating aroma.. 

‘Stop that!’ she chided herself. Marinette smacked her cheeks with both of her hands, then shook her head, granting a utterly confused face from her best friend, and a few of her other classmates who witnessed it. For the most part, this was normal for her, so they quickly looked away. Her previous movements all but forgotten a few minutes later. 

Ring! The final bell chimed out. Marinette felt a stone drop into her stomach. ‘It’s now or never,’ she reminded herself. She didn’t want there to be a “never”. Even though she was going to move on, she would be damned if she didn’t at least tell him how she felt first. Quickly gathering her things, she rushed to meet up with the stunning model boy of her affections, who was already out the door. Alya, being the good friend that she is, held Nino back so that Marinette could have a moment alone with Adrien. 

“Adrien! Wait up!” Marinette called after him. Adrien slowed to a stop, spinning around to see his good friend, Marinette, trotting over. The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a pleasant, warm smile, one that immediately turned her insides to goo. She gulped audibly. ‘I can do this!’ She relented, albeit with some false bravado.

“Hey, Marinette! What’s up?” he asked casually, his smile never leaving his lips. She felt her face heat up despite herself, but she managed to croak out an intelligible sentence.

“Uh, um if you have a moment, I just have something to say to you..” She started, eyes glancing at the ground, then back up to his, gauging his reaction. His kindness still apparent on his features he responded,

“Of course! I’ll always make time for my friends.” Friends. There’s that damn word again. The word that has haunted her for years. ‘Friends huh, I’ll take that word and shove it-‘

“So, what do you need to tell me?” His question silencing her very rude thoughts. Marinette straightened up, as to make herself appear taller. That’s what you’re supposed to do in these situations, right? Or was that when facing a bear..? To be honest, was there even a difference at this point? Marinette couldn’t be sure.

She swallowed thickly, “Okay, well.. This is hard for me to say to you but I need you to listen until the end, alright?” Adrien’s countenance fell, his kindness replaced by a look of worry, but he nodded nonetheless; attentive, and ready to hear her through. Clearing her throat, she mustered up all the confidence she could pull through her petite body. Boring into his gorgeous green eyes, she opened her mouth to say the words that she has always wanted to say. It didn’t come as easily as she had hoped. First, a garbled squeak of a voice came out, but she recovered by pretending it never happened. If he had noticed, he didn’t give it away.

“Adrien, I’m in love with you” she professed, her tone just a tad higher than her normal speaking tone. His eyes widened in surprise, this being the last thing he would expect to come out of her mouth. His lips parted slightly, like he was trying to find the words to say to respond to this sudden (for him) love confession. She rose a hand in protest, her small hand trembling slightly from the nervous jitters.

“I’m not telling you this because I want anything from you. I know you love someone else, but I have been in love with you since the very beginning, always afraid to tell you my feelings. That ends today.” She continued, more confidence seeping into her every word the more she spoke. It felt freeing. These feelings she had harbored for so long, now lingering in the air between them, being soaked in by the golden haired boy. 

“I’m finally going to try to move on, but in order to do so, I need closure. No regrets, am I right? I hope you end up happy, Adrien. She would be a fool to not love you too. You deserve happiness, and so do I. Can we remain friends?” she finished. Marinette could clearly see the gears turning in his head, scrutinizing every memory they’ve ever shared, wondering how he could have missed it. He looked at her with glazed over eyes, realizing she needed a response. All he could manage was a simple nod. A part of Marinette wished that he would have reacted differently, yet it also made her feel powerful. She did this. Marinette Dupain-Cheng made Adrien Agreste speechless. After all the years of him making her unable to find words to speak, and stumbling over the ones that she did find. Satisfied, she smiled a wickedly sweet smile, rose onto her tip toes then gently placed a kiss on his cheek. A kiss so innocent, yet so warm that sent an electric current throughout his entire body. Exiting his body through his feet, into the ground, just like a lightening strike.

Slowly, she pulled away, eyes fluttering open as she returned to her natural stature. The corner of her lip twitched into a coy smirk. “Thanks, Adrien.” She uttered sweetly. Marinette spun on her heels and descended the staircase leading out of the school, starting towards home; leaving a very flustered boy behind in her wake. Her kiss lingering on his skin, his hand absent mindedly raising to touch the spot where her lips set his body aflame.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Tikki talk. Adrien thinks about what just transpired and what it could mean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! My crappy little one-shot, now not a one-shot? To be honest, I had no intention of creating any more chapters for this fic, but I got a little bit of inspirtion. First, mostly from you lovely readers! I may have only gotten 96 kudos, and a few comments/bookmarks, but I was expecting somewhere around... MAYBE... in the teens for kudos, a comment or two and zero bookmarks. The fact that anyone wanted to continue reading, or that almost a hundred liked it, I just... T.T But feel free to disregard any future updates if you wanted it to be a one shot as it was initially intended.
> 
> Secondly, while being in a lovey mood, I listened to some good ol' fashioned sappy music and was a inspired a bit more. I now have a vague idea of what I want to write next for this fic, but who knows? Let's see where this story takes us xD

Planted on the school grounds, was one sunflower boy by the name of Adrien Agreste. He was stunned, completely unmoving, from the sheer shock of the sudden confession from his friend. Friend? He questioned himself. How had he not seen that coming? Did she ever hint at her feelings before? He thought himself a smart boy, so he couldn’t have been that clueless. Could he? His snarky kwami peered up at him, showing himself slightly out from beneath Adrien’s shirt. 

“Looks like to me, you just got dumped!” Plagg snickered. He shouldn’t get so much amusement out of his holder’s problems, but humans were just way too blind. How could he not laugh at the poor boy’s situation? Plagg’s declaration was enough to pull Adrien back down to Earth from his outer body experience.

Adrien looked at Plagg quizzically, “Is that what just happened?” he wondered aloud. Plagg chuckled again, this time earning him a scornful stare from his holder. Adrien lightly pushed Plagg back into his shirt, and finally uprooted himself from his spot. If he kept his bodyguard waiting any longer he would be in trouble, but this conversation was not over.

===============================================

Marinette kept rambling to herself. A lot of _Oh my god’s_ and _Is this okay? Am I sure? What did I do? Does he hate me now? _Her panicked pacing around her room increased. Tikki sighed heavily before starting, “Marinette!”

Marinette stopped mid freak out, her wide blue bell eyes meeting Tikki’s. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, “Sorry, Tikki, go ahead” she exhaled slowly. Her kwami complied.

“Are you sure you didn’t even want to hear his answer?” she inquired. Marinette was a little taken aback. After Tikki had to listen to her complain for years about Adrien, she thought that she would be relieved that she wanted to move on. There was something off about Tikki, like she was upset, but Marinette hadn’t the faintest idea as to why. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

“I didn’t need to, Tikki. I already knows he loves someone else.” Marinette stated coolly. It still hurt to admit that she wasn’t the girl in question, but she had to move on now. This was the only thing that made sense to her. Doesn’t Tikki want her to be happy? The red kwami’s frown deepened slightly, not unnoticed by her holder.

“I know what he said, but maybe things have changed. People, feelings, they all change.” Tikki proclaimed.

_‘What is going on?’_ Marinette pondered. She closed the distance between herself and Tikki, taking the little bug into the palm of her trembling hands; still a bit shaky from the love confrontation. Her look of puzzlement ever more present. “Tikki, I don’t understand. Why aren’t you happy for me?” she questioned, wonderment filling her eyes. A slight sadness as well, Tikki noted. This was a slippery slope for Tikki. Knowing how the two feel about each other, watching how they have danced around each other for years, never realizing that the one they love has been there all this time. Tikki loved her Ladybugs, and she truly always wanted them to be happy, for _Marinette_ to be happy. It hurt her to see Marinette’s love so close, to feel the same as her, yet not being able to help. However unfortunate this was, Tikki couldn’t speak up about it, their identities must not be revealed. With a sad smile, Tikki answered, hope filling her tiny body that maybe somehow; these two holders will find their way to each other once more.

“I am happy for you, Marinette, I’m sorry it didn’t seem that way. I just want you to be happy.” Marinette visibly perked up at this, and snuggled her kwami close. She couldn’t shake the feeling she was missing something, but that was a problem for future Marinette to worry about. For now, acting normal in front of Adrien would be her biggest challenge.

========================================================

Adrien paced his large, lonely room, his right hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. These past few hours have given him a chance to comb through their time shared the last two years, and he can now see how maybe some of the things she said or did that could be construed as having a crush on him. Like the way she babbled incoherently in front of him, which he had come to love, her expressions changing as frequently as the weather in spring as she did so; but how was he ever supposed to know that meant she loved him? Nothing she did or said was _that_ obvious to the fact, or so he tried to convince himself. When he questioned Plagg about it, he laughed in Adrien’s face. He said Adrien could be considered verifiably blind. At first, Adrien brushed off his kwami, but then he started to wonder how true that was. He grabbed his phone off his table, and began texting his best friend.

_ [16:40] Adrien: Hey Nino, I have a really important question_ _._

_ [16:43] Nino: Of course! Go ahead, bud._

_ [16:43] Adrien: Did you know Marinette has a crush on me?_

Several minutes pass by with no answer from Nino, which was unusual. He almost always answers Adrien back quickly, but Adrien decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he is really busy right now? So, he did the sensible thing. He waited. And waited. Waited some more. He played the piano, took a shower, and scanned the Ladyblog for anything new, but he couldn’t wait much longer. Nino’s silence only appeared to be confirming his suspicions. Nino knew about Marinette’s crush on him and didn’t tell him? Why? Did everyone else know too? Even Plagg seemed to think it was obvious. Why was he the absolute last to know when his kwami and his best friend had the inside scoop?

_ [22:26] Adrien: So I’m going to take that as a yes…_

_ [22:27] Nino: How did you find out though?_

_ [22:27] Adrien: Marinette confessed to me today.. Why didn’t you tell me?_

_ [22:27] Nino: It wasn’t my secret to tell. Also, my girlfriend would have KILLED me if I told you before Marinette could confess._

Alya did know. Of course she did. Alya is her best friend. Not that Adrien can tell anyone besides Plagg about the person he loves, so he has a hard time relating to that level of friendship. Even so, Nino’s story makes sense. Alya swore him to secrecy. Nino, not wanting to anger her, held his tongue. Thus, unsure of how much he was able to say, Nino didn’t respond. Truthfully, Adrien knew that was probably the case to begin with. He couldn't really fault Nino for not telling him either, he did have a point.

He sighed, unsure of himself. His thoughts slowly drifting back to the confession from this afternoon. Strangest thing about it was the fact that this is the second time she has told him that she loves him, she just didn’t know it. The first time was when she confessed to Chat Noir. At that time, he was just as caught off guard, maybe more so this time, but a shock each time nonetheless. Her confession then didn’t seem to make much sense to him. She hardly knew Chat Noir. For him, it seemed to be forced compared to this time. Was she ever really in love with his alter ego? Or was it just different now because she grew, and adapted? He couldn’t be sure. After all, his response to it was not the same either. Both times, he was unsure of what to say, but this time; this time was unlike any other moment a girl has poured their heart out to him. This time, he couldn’t move, or speak, let alone _breathe_.

_ ‘What was that all about?’_ Adrien thought as he flopped down onto his bed, placing his forearm over his tightly closed eyes. The image of Marinette burned into his memory. She has always been a sweet girl, but the smirk she wore just hours earlier was downright devilish. To be honest, Adrien didn’t realize it was even possible for her to make that sort of face. Thinking back on it now, he liked it. It was a small glimpse of a Marinette he didn’t recognize. ‘_Sassy_’ he surmised, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He removed his arm from his face, and combed his fingers through his disheveled hair, when the ghost of her lips on his cheek materialized. Adrien’s eyes widened, his face flushed at the recollection, his own lips forming a tight line. That simple contact lit a fire under his skin that took hours to douse; the memory reigniting a slight flame on his cheek. This only confused Adrien further.

“Plagg?” he began, speaking out into his now dark room. A muffled groan could be heard beside him in the large bed. Adrien didn’t wait for an answer, “Marinette said she loves me.”

“Ugh, yeah. So?” the small creature grumbled, stretching his body before curling into a new, more comfy position.

“So.. I love Ladybug” he stated, which was not a lie. All this time, he has only really had eyes for her. Sure, Kagami was beautiful, smart, and fierce just like his lady. She was someone he could have seen really caring for, if he had not met Ladybug first. Yet he had met her first, and fell head over heels for her. Quite literally, as she came crashing into him, tangling them close together in her yoyo.

At one point he thought he should give up and pursue Kagami, but he could not forget the spotted super heroine. Everyone else just paled in comparison to her. As for Kagami, she and her mother ended up going back to Tokyo. Adrien could only assume they returned for private family matters, as Kagami could not give him any specifics as to why.

If he still only has eyes for Ladybug, why does he feel so crummy? Why is he saddened by the fact Marinette wants to stop loving him? Could it be because he is so used to being unloved that the thought of losing someone who loves him, upsets him? ‘_How selfish_’ he thinks to himself. _‘She’s right, she deserves to be happy, so why…_’

“If I love Ladybug, why do I have this pain in my chest? Why don’t I want Marinette to move on?” Adrien asks aloud, not really expecting an answer from his sleepy kitty. Plagg has never been the type to give sound advice. Besides, he hates romance.

Against the norm, and much to Adrien’s surprise, Plagg opens his mouth to speak, “Maybe because you need to wake up, and see what’s in front of you for once.” His tone is a bit snippy, which is to be expected when his beauty sleep is disturbed. Cats need a lot of sleep, after all. Adrien was a bit shocked by his somewhat sudden outburst. He turned over onto his side, facing Plagg.

“What do you mean?”

Plagg’s eyes squinted, looking over his holder’s face with his night time vision, wondering if Adrien was really this dense. When his surveillance of Adrien’s face had been completed, showing that he could actually be that half-witted when it came to love; a deep sigh escaped the kwami, more breath released than thought possible out of something that small.

“Look, all I’m gonna say is, there is a reason I kept nudging you to forget about Ladybug, and go for someone available.” Plagg said irritably. If Adrien was going to ask him to elaborate, he was not given the chance. Plagg rose from the bed and floated over to Adrien’s dirty sock basket, plopping himself inside of his little safe haven; defended against Adrien’s, in his opinion, gross and annoying love complications.

_ ‘What is even going on today?’_ First, Marinette’s surprising proclamation of love, the strange way he reacted, the irritating and confusing ache in his chest, the way his heart clenched at even the mere thought of her, and now Plagg’s out of character spurt of words. Adrien must have just been caught off guard, is all. ‘_Yeah, that’s it. Everything will be fine. I just need some sleep. I’ll figure out everything tomorrow. These weird feelings and things are for “tomorrow Adrien” to settle.’_ He mused. His tired heart and mind allowing him some reprieve as he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovesick Adrien makes me W E A K. In the show or otherwise. *sigh* It's a short chapter again, but I felt it was best to end here for the stuff to come.
> 
> Sorry if formatting is strange. I use Word then paste and fix. It looks okay in the preview post, but meh. I still have things to learn.
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who has left kudos, comments, or just reading in general! ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

“Adrien!” Marinette giggled. “You can’t try to cheat just because I keep kicking your sorry butt.”

“What!? Me, cheat? Never!” he responded, while also trying to stifle his own laughter. The two of them were surrounded by four walls of bright pink, and Marinette’s half finished creations. The smell of the bakery below overwhelming Adrien’s senses with sweet buttery goodness. It was calming, not to mention being around Marinette lifted his mood beyond new heights. The glimmer in Marinette’s eyes as she spoke to, and laughed with him, warmed his heart immensely. He briefly wondered if he had ever seen anything more beautiful.

  
Glancing at her as her giggling subsided, Adrien sighed contently. Marinette’s pink cheeks matched the interior of her painted walls as she looked at him shyly.

“You fibber.” She smiled, the amusement lacing her voice. Adrien couldn’t help but smile along with her. Yeah, he had been caught. Not that his cheating was hard to recognize. Kind of hard to ignore Player 2 diving for Player 1’s controller, mid fight in Ultimate Mecha Strike III; to throw them off and hit the wrong buttons. He was a dork, and that’s why she loved him, right?

“Well, can you blame me? We’ve been playing for an hour now and I still can’t beat you.” He chuckled and placed his controller on the desk. She mimicked his actions and turned to face him more directly.

“Doesn’t give you the right to cheat.” Marinette laughed, “Still, I guess I could go easy on you once in awhile.”

Adrien cackled lightheartedly as he slouched in his seat, his head hanging back looking towards the ceiling. “Yeah right. You do anything less than perfect? That’s ludicrous.”

“Hey! I do plenty of things less than perfect. Like how I’m so clumsy, or how awkward I was around you or-“ He suddenly spun around to meet her gaze which caught her off guard, making her jerk back a little in her chair. She was able to save herself from any further embarrassment by regaining her composure, and NOT falling over for once. For that, she was thankful.

Her little blunder only endeared Adrien to her more. Soon he found himself grabbing her hand gently in his own. Her hand was warm, soft and comfortable. It felt right. His heart expanded in his chest, and he knew it was almost impossible for the love and adoration to not be visible on his face.

“What you were describing weren't really things you do imperfectly. Your designs, being a great friend and daughter, student” He paused “…Girlfriend. All done perfectly.” Her bright eyes shone, her breath unable to escape its prison. He took it as encouragement to keep going.

“So, see? You can’t deny that. You do things perfectly. Heck, those things you mentioned make you more perfect.” Marinette flushed, her ears and face a deep crimson. A garbled squeak made it’s way up her throat, making her even more positively adorable in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She grumbled, looking away bashfully. Adrien’s smile remained soft, his eyes never leaving her face. Drinking in every ounce of her existence, asking himself how he got so lucky.

“I would.” He said voice just above a whisper, causing Marinette to look back at him. Her face still a lovely shade of red. A magnetic force existed between them. Their bodies slowly leaning in, Adrien’s eyes drawn to her lips and Marinette to his, their breath mingling together as they drew closer.

Closer.

_Closer_.

“Gah!” Adrien yelled in surprise as he shot up from his bed. His breath ragged, and his heart thumping loudly in his chest. His lips tingled at the memory. Was it all a dream? His eyes quickly flashed around at his surroundings. No pink walls, no fashion designs, no trap doors, or bakery below him. No Marinette.  
Adrien placed a hand over his still charged heart, willing it to calm down. His mouth felt dry, but most of all, he felt confused. Plagg awoke from his slumber in the dirty sock basket he hid himself in the night before; peaking lazily at Adrien.

“You okay, kid?” He yawned.

“I think so. It was just a weird dream.” Adrien answered. Yeah, that was it. Just a random, strange dream. A dream about the girl who just confessed, so it must just be lingering thoughts about the day prior. That’s all. Or at least that’s all he allowed himself to believe. It brought him some comfort, and his heart started to slow to a normal rate. He sighed, which turned into a scoff, then to a fit of maniacal laughter. Plagg grew more concerned by the minute.

“Uhh.. Must have been some dream for you to react like this.” Plagg said wearily. Adrien’s weird fit of laughter died down. He got out of bed in a hurry; quickly grabbing his things for a speedy shower before school. Plagg watched anxiously.

“Yeah, it was some dream alright.” Adrien said sarcastically. After that dream, he was determined to prove that’s all it was. A nonsensical dream. Marinette was just a friend. That’s all. So she had a crush on him, no big deal. Maybe it would be a little awkward at first, sure, but he said he wanted to remain friends. He meant that. If Marinette chose to date someone after she got over him, he would support her whole heartedly with a smile on his face. The notion of Marinette finding happiness with someone who could return her feelings, made him feel a bit better; though the peculiar and annoying ache in his ribcage remained, he thought nothing of it.

_‘Marinette is an awesome person. She will make someone very happy.’_ He mused. Quickly throwing camembert to Plagg, and picking up his bag, he headed to school. With renewed vigor, Adrien set out to prove what a great friendship they could have. Vowing that he wouldn’t let things get awkward between them.

  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
Marinette hardly slept at all the previous night. Replaying in her mind the moment she spilled her guts to Adrien; effectively running away right after. She told Tikki that she didn’t wait to hear what Adrien had to say about the whole thing, because she knew what he would say. That wasn’t entirely true. Mostly, but not entirely. Though she was sure that Adrien had no feelings for her, she was afraid to hear it. If he said it, that made it all the more real. If he said it, she would once again ask herself what he didn’t see in her, and she hated to doubt her self worth. She may be clumsy, but becoming Ladybug made her a more confident person. While most kids after school fought acne, she fought akumas and villains. She saved lives. Marinette might not be able to get the recognition in her civilian form, but that didn’t diminish her worth.

Even while being Marinette, she tried helping others wherever she could. Homework, love problems even when Adrien was the one asking, settling disputes, etc. She knew she was a good person, with a good heart and a lot of love to give. Knowing this was not always enough to keep those negative thoughts away though. After all, it’s only natural when the person you love refuses to see you for you after two years. Maybe her shy demeanor made it hard to notice her?

No! It doesn’t matter anymore. She is moving on. _‘He has feelings for someone else. Not me. It’s never going to happen so I better accept it.’_ Marinette declared, more or less trying to convince herself for the 100th time since she confessed. Despite barely getting any sleep, it didn’t make her any more motivated. She spent the morning twiddling away, worrying about how to act once she saw Adrien at school. Ignore him? No, no, they decided to stay friends! Greet him like normal? Maybe, but will he still feel awkward? Should he have some space? Acknowledge him but not be over friendly? Yeah, that might do.

With a heavy sigh, Marinette slowly pulled the covers off of her. Then with one slow movement, she placed her right foot onto the floor. Stalling another moment before she then followed suit with her left foot, angling her body in a vertical direction, but still refusing to sit up. Tikki giggled as she watched Marinette. This was almost an every day occurrence, but it never failed to amuse the kwami.

“You’re still not a morning person, huh?” Tikki teased lightly, getting a groan in response.

“Yeah, well, it’s even more of a challenge when I remember what awaits me at school.” Marinette reminded her. Tikki’s sad smile returning to her features, turned away as to not raise any more suspicion than Marinette already had.

“Maybe it won’t be that bad.” Tikki shrugged. Another groan. “Either way, you should start getting ready, or you'll be late.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Marinette huffed as she slowly rose to her feet. Her body felt achy and sore from the exhaustion ripping through her; which was nothing compared to the anxiety she felt in her stomach, threatening to claw it’s way up her throat. In a lackadaisical manner, she prepped herself for school. Tikki took her rightful place by Marinette’s side inside her purse while Marinette exited through the bakery, making sure to give her parents a quick kiss on their cheeks in parting.

On her walk to school, she idly wondered how many people had heard about her crush on Adrien. Pretty much anyone who had ever even looked at the two of them together could tell what her feelings were, but she wasn’t sure if anyone had heard of how she finally told him. She kind of hoped not. She wasn’t quite ready to deal with people’s looks and whispers, but maybe Tikki was right. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe no one knew yet, aside from Alya or Nino, and maybe he didn’t hate her.

  
It was going to be a long day regardless. That much she was sure of.

  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
Upon reaching the school entrance, Adrien’s nerves sky rocketed. He was sure Marinette would be close, unless she was late again of course. He was determined to not be awkward around her, and to make their friendship stronger, but despite feeling that way he couldn’t stop the jitters bubbling in his stomach. His palms began to sweat, his leg bouncing in anticipation. He hoped his bodyguard didn’t notice. Adrien glanced out of the tinted windows, his eyes immediately falling onto his best friend. Good, he can hang around Nino and it won’t be so weird that way. Their friends can be a buffer until he can get a hold of whatever is happening to him.

Adrien sighed a sigh of relief, carefully pushing the car door open. He bid his bodyguard a quick farewell and trotted over to Nino. He hadn’t noticed before that Alya was right next to him. Another student must have been blocking his view. It was slightly nerve-wracking for him, knowing that Alya must already know about the events that happened yesterday. He gulped down his nervous energy. Did that mean Marinette was close by as well?

He quickly scanned the area around until he saw her. Adrien’s breath hitched in his throat. She was closer to the courtyard, clearly visible but not within earshot. Wait, who was she with?

“Hey! Adrien!” Nino exclaimed while clapping his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “What happened to you last night? You never replied. I was waiting for the details!”

Nino sounded muffled to him. He was much too distracted by the sight before him. Marinette talking to some guy. Some guy? Adrien had never seen him before. Dark hair, tall, _handsome_. Who was he? Wait, was she blushing?

“Adrien?” Nino asked suspiciously.

“Yeah, sorry.” Adrien muttered, never taking his eyes off of the couple in front of him. He watched with a slight pang in his chest as she looked down meekly at the ground as they spoke, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Had he imagined it? The part where she confessed? Was that all apart of his dream too?

“So, are you going to tell me what happened or..?” Nino inquired, still confused by his friend’s behavior. Alya was quicker to catch on however; following Adrien’s line of sight with her own. When her eyes met the object of his gaze, a wicked grin erupted on her face.

“That’s Todd.” She announced much to Adrien’s surprise. It was enough to bring his eyes to meet with Alya’s momentarily. His brows furrowed, and he waited for her to continue.

“Yeah, he’s a nice guy. I may or may not have taken the liberty to let people know that Marinette was single.” She explained. What did that mean? Nino also seemed like it was news to him that his girlfriend was meddling again, though not completely surprised. It wasn’t the first time.

“What do you mean? She has been single… Right?” Adrien pondered, second guessing if he ever missed her dating anyone, but she had said she always loved him. Hadn’t she? He knew she had a crush on Luka at some point. Come to think of it, what happened with that? They didn’t date, at least not to his knowledge. He’s starting to be unsure of how much he can trust his memory at this point.

“Well, yeah she was single, but she wasn’t _single_. Get it?” Alya said, putting a lot of emphasize on the second single with her tone of voice and through exaggerated hand signals. Adrien shook his head slowly, doe-eyed.

“She was single, but she wasn’t ready to _mingle_. Everyone knew she was emotionally unavailable to anyone but you.” She finished. The gears slowly moving in Adrien’s mind finally clicking into place.

“Oh.” He said solemnly. Alya couldn’t believe what she was seeing. He was upset about the possibility of another guy with Marinette. This should be interesting.

“Yep, and since I explained that she will be moving on, guys are coming out of no where to talk to her. I thought it might help her progress if she met some nice guys but…” Alya trailed off as she watched Adrien’s expression morph from surprise, disappointment, and.. Jealousy?

“She just told me that she loves me yesterday. I know she said she wanted to move on, but isn’t it a little fast?” He asked them both, hurt evident in his words, his eyes drifting back towards Marinette and Todd.

Nino and Alya hummed in unison, Nino being the one to speak this time around. “Maybe, but you gotta realize this may be sudden for you, yeah. For us though, and most importantly for her, she has been holding onto those feelings for a long time. This hasn’t been easy or quick for her. It’s taken her a while to comes to grips with it. Besides, they are just talking.”

Adrien hadn’t thought of it that way. It was hard to think straight when his chest ached so badly. Why should he be upset anyway? He has no right, no reason to be. Even if they were flirting, it’s none of his business. A slight shoulder bump from Nino broke his attention once again.

“Anyway, I’m still waiting to hear about what went down. Are you guys still friends? Did she cry when you turned her down?” Nino pressed. Although Alya knew what happened she didn’t tell Nino. She wanted to hear what Adrien had to say about it. For research, for her best friend, of course. Nothing to do with being nosey. Nope. Not at all.

With a frown, Adrien replied simply, “I didn’t turn her down.” This came as a shock for both Nino and Alya. Alya could have sworn that Marinette specifically said Adrien was in love with someone else. Sure sounded like a rejection to her. Nino scratched his head in confusion.

“What? You didn’t? Then… What happened exactly?”

Adrien got the gist of what happened, but truth be told, the whole event was a blur. He was still trying to wrap his head around it himself. “Uh, well, I mean- yeah I didn’t turn her down but… I don’t know. She told me she has always loved me but now she was moving on. I didn’t even have time to process it all, so I said nothing.” Adrien explained as he nervously played with his ring miraculous.

“You didn’t even SAY anything!?” Alya interjected, causing both boys to jump in surprise at the severity of her tone. She quickly covered her mouth with both of her hands, before starting in again much softer, “You didn’t say anything? But I thought for sure that you turned her down..” If not then Marinette had some explaining to do, she would see to it.

Adrien’s cheeks burned red. Gosh, this was so embarrassing to talk about. He wished he could hide away from their prying eyes and prodding questions for a bit. He wasn’t really feeling up to it. Had school started yet? No? Damn. He motioned for them to start walking towards the school and they slowly followed.

“I was too shocked to say anything. Besides…” he took a deep breath, “It seemed like she had already made up her mind.” Adrien was surprised at the amount of disappointment that was portrayed through his voice and choice of words. Was that why he was so upset? Because she showed him a door that he never even knew was open, before abruptly slamming it in his face? Seemed plausible, but it shouldn’t matter. His heart had been taken long ago by a beautiful scarlet clad super heroine. Ladybug had never once returned his feelings in their entire super hero career together; though they had gotten closer. Their bond was stronger than ever, but still just not the relationship he had been dreaming of since day one. Always admiring her from afar, never able to properly call her “his lady” for real. He sighed at the thought.

He had spent so much time day dreaming, he couldn’t see that his dear friend had been painfully pining after him just as long as he had been for Ladybug. Poor Marinette. He knew what that felt like. No wonder she had decided to move on. He couldn’t blame her.

Nino’s next question shook Adrien to the center of his being, “You say you think she already made up her mind, fine. But are YOU okay with it?” Nino made it a point to have Adrien look back in the direction of Marinette who was sweetly waving goodbye to the mystery boy. _Throb_.

“If you’re okay with being just friends, that’s fine, but the look on your face says that you’re not.” He guessed nonchalantly. Did his face really look that bad? Adrien seemed struck. Possibly by a sudden realization, swift and hard to his head. His ears were ringing, his face going hot once again, his eyes involuntarily gazing at the girl approaching them. Just friends. The words wrapped around his heart, giving it a painful squeeze that made Adrien clutch at his chest. That earlier vow and idea of a great friendship be damned.

Alya’s eyes widened in surprise before a hopeful gleam replaced it. Perhaps she could help these two love-struck idiots. Even if it seemed a little mean, this was for their own good. Unable to keep the devilish smirk off of her face, she closed the short distance between herself and Marinette. “Hey, girl! So, what do you think of Todd?”

Marinette squeaked in embarrassment, “Alya! Not now!” Her eyes nervously scanning Adrien’s face for any discomfort, her cheeks and tips of her ears blazing. If Marinette didn’t know any better, she would say Adrien looked upset, but it must have just been an awkward situation for him. Her heart lurched at the thought. She didn’t mean to make him so uncomfortable.

“H-hey, Adrien!” Marinette piped up, trying to keep things as normal and friendly as possible. Little did Marinette know that Adrien was facing a storm within his heart and mind.

This morning he woke up feeling positive, albeit a bit strange as well due to his dream, about their friendship being able to withstand all of these complicated emotions. However, like some storms do, she appeared without warning. Her hair swayed gently in the breeze, ruffling all around her gorgeously pink tinted cheeks. Her eyes shone with a vibrant intensity, like electricity lighting up the dark. She efficiently wrecked the door to his heart when she blew in with her confession. A heart he thought had no room for any other love; however, the mere sight of her had it stolen. Feelings he had never allowed himself to acknowledge, whether it had been because of fear or inability to let go of what he thought was true, all came flooding in at a terrifying speed. The rain of what Adrien was feeling in that moment soaked him to the bone, and chilled him to the core.

His friends looked on in confusion and worry, awaiting a response. Unable to face her, or his feelings, Adrien looked away glumly. “Hey” he mumbled softly before passing her by. To everyone else around, they could swear they heard the sound of a heart breaking. Whether it was Marinette’s, Adrien’s or both, was anybody's guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in the show, Adrien can be kind of pouty. That's why I went this direction with him. Also, I usually see Marinette as insecure in other peoples fics. Not that I'm knocking them for that. I understand why people write it, but I personally wanted to put the image out there that she doesn't secretly dislike herself. 
> 
> What Marinette was thinking were things I thought about when the person I loved for years didn't return my feelings. Like, why wasn't I enough? But as Adrien said, the heart wants what the heart wants, right? I found my happy ending though. Maybe these two will also? ;D


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya comforts Marinette, and Adrien realizes he got the big dumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, I'm back! I didn't intend to be gone for so long, but ya know, life. I had migraines and severe headaches for 33 days straight. I still managed to put out that last chapter on a not so bad day, but it just wouldn't go away. Then I had some writer's block, and some commissions. I started a deviantart, as I try to get better. If anyone wants to check it out, I have posted a couple MLB fan arts. Same name, Tatchez. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Alya considered herself a patient person—Wait. No, she didn’t. She had a desperate need and desire to know the truth, as well as make other people aware of it. All this time, watching Marinette continuously coming up with excuses to not confess to Adrien had been torture for her. She knew that it was not her place to tell him, but god, had she wanted to so many times over the years. Alya surprised herself with her minimal involvement in their love lives, or lack thereof. She thought she restrained herself pretty well.

After all this yearning; for Marinette, but also for herself, she actually felt guilty. Guilty because after all the pushing she did for Marinette to spill the beans to Adrien, in front of her now; was her best friend crying her heart out. The rational side of Alya knew that Adrien’s behavior, though misguided, was not done with ill intent. He didn’t say anything hurtful, call Marinette names, or ignore her completely. What he did was rude, and for an already emotionally vulnerable girl, that was enough to make her cry. Alya’s irrational side however wanted the _**sombitch**_ to pay. He made her _cry_.

She had seen Marinette upset before; worried, angry, anxious, and sad. For her to cry though? That meant it had to have really have hurt. She thought that maybe she shouldn’t have pushed her to confess. If Marinette’s feelings had gone away naturally, over time, just maybe she wouldn’t be sobbing right now. Alya couldn’t help but feel like this was her fault.

“I’m sorry, I never should have pushed you to do this.” Alya spoke softly as she rubbed Marinette’s back soothingly as Marinette covered her face in her hands. Taking deep breaths, Marinette pulled her hands away, gently wiping at her tear-stricken face.

“Why are you sorry?” Marinette laughed sullenly.

“Because I kept pushing you to tell him, and now you’re this-“ She paused motioning at the entirety of the distraught girl facing her. “Hot mess.”

A sad smile broke out over Marinette’s features. “True, but it isn’t _your_ fault. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to so that I could move on, but of course, I’m still in love with him.” She turned towards the mirrors to assess the damage. Wow, Alya wasn’t kidding, she was a hot mess. Turning on the tap, she placed her hands under the cold water, then brought them up to cool her warm cheeks.

“It isn’t anyone’s fault. Not even Adrien’s.”

Alya couldn’t help but disagree, “Girl, I think that’s your bias talking. YOU told him you loved him, and he walks off on you like that? If anyone should be avoiding anyone, it should be you avoiding him.” Marinette simply shook her head slowly.

“I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t hurt because well-“ copying Alya’s movements from earlier, motioning in reference to her current appearance. “But, this was a big surprise for him. I kind of dumped it on him and ran away. I’d probably be confused too.” She admitted sheepishly.

Alya handed Marinette a tissue, which she proceeded to wipe her nose carefully with.

“I should have given him a bit of space, but I’m not exactly experienced in all this.” Marinette said before turning back to the mirror to try to get her hair in place.

“Okay, maybe, but I still don’t think it’s an excuse and I’m going to yell at him for making my best friend cry.” Alya declared. She still felt guilty, especially since she noticed how Adrien was acting when he saw Marinette with Todd but stuck her nose into it anyway. Maybe she really should stop meddling, but gosh darn it, she just wanted her clueless friends to be happy. Her meddling thus far hadn’t exactly gone as planned, and only seemed to make things worse. She could fix this, but first she was going to kick some model butt.

“Alya, no!” Marinette hissed as she spun around to face her. Alya grinned.

“Alya, yes.”

Marinette groaned. “Listen, don’t yell at him. It’s really not his fault I cried. It’s just all these pent up emotions…”

Alya nodded, “I get that, but I also get that he was rude.”

Marinette slid her hands down her face dramatically in exasperation. Alya chuckled at her. After two years of friendship, one would think that she would be used to Alya’s stubbornness by now. Just then, Alya’s phone dinged indicating she had a text message from Nino.

_ **Go easy on him. He feels bad and is going to say sorry.** _

It read. Why was everyone trying to tell her to be nice? What goody two shoes. She scoffed. Well, no matter. She would be having a chat with him either way. Be nice? She supposed she could try. At least he had realized he hurt her. He should get some credit for that.

“What’s up?” Marinette asked curiously. Alya smiled and put her phone safely in her bag. She flicked her wrist, as if waving Marinette’s doubts away suggesting that it was no big deal.

“Nothing, really.”

She didn’t seem convinced, but dropped the subject. With a few more adjustments to her clothing, face, and a small amount of make up borrowed from Alya; they both supposed this was as good as it was going to get. Her face was still red, and eyes puffy. Anyone could tell just by looking at her that she had been crying. Maybe Adrien wouldn’t notice though, since he was oblivious, apparently.

“Sorry, we’re late for class all because of me being sensitive and crap.” Marinette said. Alya placed her arm around Marinette’s shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. She pulled her close and rubbed her shoulder with her hand that was draped across it.

“One day of being late isn’t going to kill me. Although,” Alya started, “You’ve been late a lot so maybe you’ll get detention.” The two girls laughed at the truth of it.

“We can stay here for as long as you need.” She added reassuringly.

Marinette smirked and looked around at their surroundings. “Thanks for the support, but I’d rather not stay here for long.”

The two giggled together once more. She had a good point. Especially if anyone were to come in, they should be allowed to do what the room was actually intended for, in peace. ______________________________________________________________________________

Idiot!

Adrien’s head met his desk with a hefty _thwack_. He knew he messed up. Marinette didn’t deserve that kind of greeting. After all, she had done nothing wrong except loving the fool. He just didn’t know how to face her now. Especially not with how his heart seemed to be fighting with itself. His love for Ladybug trying to fight back against the newfound feelings for Marinette; feelings that had emerged from the depths that he put them in long ago. Adrien sighed.

His forehead throbbed painfully as he sat up in his chair, still slouching over, as he gingerly rubbed his now visible red mark from where it collided with his desk. Regardless of Adrien’s confusion on how to speak to Marinette going forward, he knew he had to make it up to her; to apologize. She was a pretty understanding person, of that, Adrien was sure. She would hear him out and forgive him. Right?

The first of the three friends Adrien left behind, entered. Nino dropped his bag under their desk and plopped onto his chair, turning slightly to face Adrien.

“Dude..” Nino began.

Before he could continue Adrien cut him off, “I know, that was stupid of me.”

“I mean, I get you’re kinda confused right now, but Marinette tried her best to act normal. As friends.” Nino said. He could sympathize with his best friend, but Marinette was also his friend, and he hated to see the heart broken look on her face she wore just moments prior.

“You’re right, Nino. Honestly, I don’t know what came over me. I saw her and just…” Sure, he could tell that all those feelings he had kept stowed away under lock and key had broken out, but he was surprised at himself for not handling it better. He was overwhelmed by the revalation. “I’m going to say sorry. It was rude to walk off on her like that.” That seemed to appease Nino enough, and he beamed at his friend encouragingly.

“Speaking of, class should be starting any second. Where are the girls?” Adrien questioned, anxiously glancing at the door. Maybe if she got there quick enough, he could apologize before the start of class.

“Oh, uh, they were going to the bathroom, I think.” Nino laughed nervously, fumbling his phone out of his pocket to send a quick text. Adrien felt Nino was hiding something, and opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by sound of the bell. Class had begun. Darn his luck. Now he would have to wait a bit to speak to Marinette. He didn’t like leaving things tense and awkward like this.

Seriously, where were they? It was like Marinette to be late, but not Alya. A trip to the bathroom shouldn’t take that long. Twenty anxiety-filled minutes passed of class. Adrien started to panic, wondering if she had been akumatized, or if something else happened to them. His leg bounced up and down rapidly, his eyes looking at the clock constantly. Maybe he should go look for them. Just as he had begun to raise his hand, the door opened, Alya entering first.

“So nice of you two to join us!” Mrs. Bustier exclaimed, her eyes narrowing in disapproval. Marinette stood behind Alya, seeming to keep her face hidden. Oh, so she _was_ mad at him. He couldn’t blame her, yet, it still stung.

“Sorry, Mrs. Bustier.” They chimed in unison, slowly approaching their respective seats behind Nino and Adrien. As Marinette passed, she quickly peaked at Adrien, and just as quickly, looked away. It didn’t matter. That one look at her face was all he needed to understand. Although he was relieved to see she hadn’t been akumatized as he had feared, he realized why they had been in the bathroom for so long.

Her eyelashes were still damp, her nose red, face flushed, and eyes puffy. She had been _crying_. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach at the realization. Adrien would rather her be mad at him.

What a fool he had been. She bore her heart and soul to him, tried to be his friend even though it was painful and awkward; yet, even though he said that they could still be friends, he snubbed her. For what reason? Because he was jealous. Because he became aware that he wanted something he was told he could no longer have.

Adrien’s only human. He made a mistake, but he knew he could fix it. He WOULD fix it. Though, from the looks of it, he was going to have to get through her best friend first; with the way Alya’s eyes threw daggers into the back of his head.

Class seemed to drag on as all that could be heard behind him were stifled sniffles and hushed whispers. How he wished the rest of class would pass quickly so he could fix what was broken. No matter what was going to come of their relationship, Marinette was important to him. He had a momentary lapse in judgement. It was clouded by his uncertainty, and although nothing had yet been determined when it came to the matters of his heart—aside from how he felt about her, he knew he needed to make it up to her.

What they needed was an actual conversation. His only word to her through all of this was the “Hey” he uttered that morning. Now, if only he could get a chance to talk to her...

The bell rang out again, this time to end class. Adrien was startled out of his thoughts and began hastily packing up his belongings into his bag. This was his chance. He turned around to face Marinette who was already ducked down behind the desks, trying to slink out of sight. He had seen her do that once before, when she had seen him on the train car next to her own. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but looking back now, he understood why. Marinette was in love with him and panicked, like she often did.

She had always been a bit strange and quirky. It was one of her charming qualities that he loved so much. However, this time was different. She was still hiding from him, but this time was because she didn’t want to see him. Because she was upset with him. His heart felt squeezed in his chest, his mouth falling into a frown.

Taking a deep breath, he took a single step forward, hand outstretched as if to stop her. But before he could, a voice spoke up behind him.

“Alya, Marinette, could you come here a moment?” Mrs. Bustier asked in a rather commanding way, making it known it was not merely a request. Marinette’s head popped up from behind her desk, and had it not been for the fact that they were at odds right now; Adrien would be laughing out loud from the sheer cuteness of it.

With a swift apprehensive glance towards Adrien, Marinette realized that she had fooled no one. Even if she had, Mrs. Bustier called her out. There was no hiding now. The mousy Marinette he saw just moments ago straightened up. The former confidence he saw in her the day before, returning. He realized she was trying to recover her composure, as if no one had seen anything. That was making it even more hard for him not to smirk. But if he did so now, she might take it the wrong way instead of out of adoration.

The two girls shrunk in front of their teacher. Adrien thought it best to wait outside of the classroom for Marinette, but his bad luck continued. Alya was the first to get out of the clutches of the disgruntled educator. No doubt because this was a first offense for her.

She had a troublesome glint in her eye. In that moment, Adrien felt dread. She was the hunter, and he was the prey. A slithering snake, closing in on their next meal. He gulped. Before he knew it, her hand was around his arm, pulling him in the opposite direction of their next class.

“H-hey, Alya, wait! We are going to be late for our next class.” He said a bit shaky. Say what you will, but Alya was stronger than he gave her credit for. And more fearsome.

“Well, I’ve already been late to class one time today because of you,” She shot him a glare, his own gaze turning away from her guiltily thus confirming what Nino had already said to her. “I’ll be late again. That’s fine. We need to have a chat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've given Adrien a lot of time in my writing. I want to write some more from Marinette after Alya's little talk with Adrien... Probably only a couple more chapters to go as this wasn't even supposed to be more than one. xD I have another fic in mind, that will be a true one shot. We will see when I get around to it though.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya warns Adrien, and Adrien sets out to make things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all! This chapter is basically a set up chapter, so not too much going on. It had to be done, however. All on very little sleep, but that's the norm for me nowdays. ;-; My puppo keeps waking me.
> 
> I want to say thank you to everyone who reads this fic, the comments and kudos have been very encouraging. I'm going through some stuff, so those simple things bring light to my life. For anyone who is enjoying this story, feel free to check out my MLB one shot "Hold On", if you'd like!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Alya moved swiftly and with great purpose. Someone had to talk sense into this boy, it may as well be her. She would do anything to help her best friend, even if it meant doing something that said best friend didn’t necessarily agree with.

Behind her trailed Adrien, unable to escape her grasp that had him caught around the wrist. His protests had stopped. He must have accepted his fate, she assumed. Good. Alya’s destination that she had in mind was sure to get him voicing his objections all over again, though. She smirked icily at the thought.

The closer they got, the more Alya could sense Adrien’s apparent apprehension until they stood directly in front of the targeted entryway. It was the women’s bathroom where Alya and Marinette had been just a short time ago. Even if Marinette wanted to stop Alya now, though Alya guessed that she knew it would be futile, Marinette wouldn’t think to check for Adrien in there! With everyone being in their classrooms by now, it was unlikely that they would be disturbed by anyone else as well. Regardless, Alya would make his death quick. Death? Did she think that? No, she simply meant chat, yeah that’s it.

Adrien stilled beside her; her intent clear. With a wicked grin, she raised her hands and using both, forcefully pushed him inside the bathroom. His feet skidded across the tiled floor in disagreement. This was unexplored territory for him that he was never meant to discover.

“Alya! No, not here! I can’t be in here, I’ll get in trouble, or worse... People will think I’m a pervert!” He hissed in disapproval, looking around frantically to see if there was anyone else in there. As Alya had suspected, it was empty aside from them. Alya simply tsked at the boy.

“Good, so you know where you are?” She inquired. Adrien looked taken aback and shot her an incredulous glare.

“Of course, I know where we are, which is precisely why I can’t be here! Can we please talk somewhere else?” He pleaded, inching closer to the exit, clearly uncomfortable with his surroundings. A bit of embarrassment would do him good, Alya thought.

“No, we’re going to talk here. Believe it or not, but we are less likely to get in trouble here. If we need to, you can hide in a stall.” She stated before continuing, “Besides, I thought this was an appropriate place, seeing as this is the same place my best friend was balling her eyes out this morning!”

Adrien’s features visibly softened and his shoulder’s slumped. Alya knew he was already feeling guilty, but this was just further confirmation. If he was going to look so upset, it was only going to make it harder for her to be a hard ass. No! She must not give in! She thought of Marinette’s red, puffy eyes once more, and found the resolve to go on, but not before Adrien spoke up.

“I... I know.” He replied sadly. He knew? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Judging by the surprised look on Adrien’s face, Alya realized her abrasive thoughts had already protruded out of her big mouth. Oops. Oh well, she wanted to know the answer anyway. Adrien swallowed loudly before he responded.

“I meant; I know she was in here crying... And that it was my fault.” The melancholy image before her continued to assault her anger towards him. He really did regret hurting Marinette. Crap. Alya could tell her strength of will was being tested. She had to remain firm, and tough on him. Someone had to tell him the truth.

“Oh... Well, good. I’m glad you understand that you hurt her, but that’s not good enough.” She said, and Adrien seemed to visibly deflate just like a helium balloon with a small hole. Alya could even almost swear she heard the deflating occurring.

“I’ve never seen her like that, Adrien. That girl may be clumsy and flighty, but she’s tough as hell.” His physical state seemed even more positively shrunken than before, spurring Alya to add, “I know that you didn’t mean to hurt her. I mean, you didn’t even really treat her that badly, but explain to me what even happened this morning.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck nervously, fidgeting in place. A strained smile found its place on his features.

“Honestly, Alya? I had every intention of proving to her that we could still be friends when I saw her today, but then...” He trailed off.

“But then?” She pressed.

“But then, I saw her. I saw her, and I forgot everything that I had planned to do or say. And Todd. Todd was with her, flirting with her, and she seemed to like it. I think I was... jealous.” Adrien announced, seeming to only realize that his last statement had been true the moment he had uttered it. As if the thought hadn’t occurred to him earlier. No, duh, Alya mused.

“Yeah, I got that.” She stated much to Adrien’s surprise. After all, if he hadn’t noticed it, how was she able to?

“You could tell?” He asked warily, then gasped suddenly, “Do you think that Marinette knew that, too?”

“Marinette? No way! She’s a smart girl, but when it comes to love, she doesn’t always think straight.” Alya laughed. Sorry, girl, but it’s true! Alya mentally apologized. “Besides, if she had, she would have been a little less hurt, I think. Right now, she thinks she should have never said anything because she thinks she ruined your friendship.”

Frowning deeply, Adrien anxiously played with the ring on his right hand. Had he always had that ring? Breaking her wandering curious thoughts, Adrien said, “She didn’t ruin anything, but I did.”

Alya stepped closer to him, bringing up a hand to place on his shoulder comfortingly. Adrien had shied away from the contact at first, almost as if he had been scared that she was going to strike him. Adrien, who she had seen fence brilliantly without flinching, and protect people from akumas, was shrinking away from her touch. She had to admit, it was quite comical.

Chuckling slightly, she commented, “You did hurt her, so I will have my eye on you, but you didn’t ruin anything. You know Marinette. She’s a good girl, she’ll forgive you. Just go kiss and make up.”

The implication that they would be doing anything other than talking got Adrien red in the face; the blush spreading as far as the base of his neck. Another laugh made its way out her chest as she watched the boy get even more flustered, earning a scornful look from him. Adrien cleared his throat.

“Listen, I don’t know what’s going to happen between us, but I am going to apologize to her. I never meant to make her cry.” Alya had come to accept his grief over how he had made Marinette feel. He was a good person, that she was sure of, he had just had a brief lapse in control of his emotions-- if one could even call it that. For most people, jealousy would have them acting more brashly than he had, but for Adrien, the way he had acted was effectively the equivalent.

“What’s the hold up? You pretty much just admitted you like her, and she likes you, so what’s the problem?” Alya asked. A pained expression crossed his face. Just then, Alya remembered something Marinette had said. She had brought up that Adrien was in love with someone else. So, he still had feelings for another girl?

“There’s another girl, isn’t there?” The words came flying out of her mouth before she had a chance to grab them. Adrien appeared shocked. He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone, not even to Nino, except... The shock was replaced by realization. Realization that he had told Marinette a while back that he was in love with someone, that’s how Alya knew, and realization about something else? Alya couldn’t place it, but she assumed it was a moment shared only between the two of them.

“Yeah, as horrible as that sounds. I’ve been in love with someone else for a long time. I’ve never let myself feel what I feel for Marinette before, because I was always chasing this other girl.” His voice sounded sad, yet also dreamy and light as it drifted off. Damn, he really did love that girl, didn’t he? Poor Marinette. Who could even compete with a girl as amazing as her? Alya was positive that there was no one better in comparison to Marinette, but the heart wants what the heart wants, right?

“That’s why, I’m going to apologize to Marinette about how I acted, but I don’t know about anything else beyond that. She deserves to be happy, even if it’s not with me.” This time, his voice was firmer; yet sounded as if he didn’t truly want that, but had already made up his mind. These two idiots.

Well, as for right now, she supposed she had to let him off the hook. He was going to say sorry; he knew he was in the wrong, which was all she really wanted. She made him feel more guilty and dragged him into the women’s restroom. He had been punished accordingly in comparison to the crime. With the way he was talking though, Alya wasn’t so sure that there wouldn’t be a next time. And if she had to watch her best friend cry over him again, there would be bigger consequences, no matter how many pouty looks he gave her.

“You’re right, she does deserve to be happy, and if you know what’s best for you then you won’t make her cry again. Got it?” Alya’s tone returned to being one made out of stone, instilling fear back inside of Adrien. She had to be sure that he knew that today was merely a warning compared to what could happen if it were to happen again. Unable to speak against her, Adrien nodded in compliance.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At last, Adrien was able to escape that awkward conversation, and Alya’s impeding wrath. He knew that the threat she made was no empty promise. She meant it. He found himself jarred at the memory of the fierce protection in her gaze. Like a lioness protecting her young. A slight shiver traveled down his spine.

Well, one down, one more to go. He still had to say sorry to Marinette, but ever since he got away from Alya, he couldn’t help but notice that Marinette seemed to be avoiding him-- much like she had tried to do earlier that day. Every time he started to approach her, it was as if she vanished into a puff of smoke or someone else grabbed her attention on purpose, making a private conversation impossible.

Being away from her company and being avoided, he found he did not like it much. He soon caught himself missing her giggles, her shy glances, and incoherent babbling. Adrien wanted to make it up to her, and fast, but she wasn’t giving him the chance.

As the day continued on, Adrien’s patience drew ever more thin, desperation beginning to take hold. Finally, the last bell of the day chimed, signaling the release of the entire student body. This was going to be his last chance for the day to make things right between them, and maybe more than alright.

No. Adrien chased those thoughts from his head. He still had feelings for Ladybug. Even if he did find that his heart was torn in two separate directions, it wouldn’t be fair to pursue Marinette. She was not a consolation prize. If there were even a sliver of a doubt in his mind, then he simply couldn’t take the plunge, no matter how badly his heart screamed at him to do just that.

Plagg had continued to be of no help. When he had said that all he was going to say was there was a reason that he had urged Adrien to move on, he meant it. Aside from many moans and some complaints about needing more camembert, Plagg’s lips were sealed. He insisted this was something Adrien needed to figure out on his own. He supposed Plagg was right, but a little more insight would be nice as he tried to decipher his feelings.

Just as Adrien gave up on Plagg’s help for the thirteenth time that day, he spotted Marinette walking out of the school doors. His heart leapt up in his throat at the sight of her, a small smile on her face as she chatted casually with Alya.

Taking a deep breath, Adrien began to make his way over to her, his breath caught in his chest. But then someone appeared to her left. Todd, as Adrien recalled. It wasn’t like he could forget his face anytime soon. He was partly why Adrien had noticed his feelings in the first place; along with her confession, of course.

Todd and his dumb handsome face, getting close to Marinette.

Adrien felt irritated in an instant. He recognized this kind of annoyance; he had felt it before. Back when that sculptor had showed his affection for Ladybug, or when Ladybug had admitted that she loved someone else—he ended up wishing he was the one she loved, and thought that whoever this mystery guy was, he was beyond lucky in love. Thinking back on it now, he could see that he was feeling jealous then too.

Before Adrien’s mind was able to register what he would do, his body was already springing into action-- sprinting to catch up to the trio ahead of him. Marinette was the first to turn around, probably incredibly aware of what Adrien’s footsteps sounded like, or hyper aware in general; who could really say? Marinette shrieked as she jumped in alarm. The other two twirled to see what had caused her to react in that manner. Alya looked at him knowingly, while the expression on Todd’s face was one of disdain.

“Marinette!” Adrien called out to her as she adverted her gaze in various directions. He came to a halt before her, ignoring the other two who couldn’t stop looking at him. Funny, the one person he wanted to look at him, was doing her absolute best not to, meanwhile people all over Paris were staring at photos of him in magazines; not to mention the onlookers around them.

“A-Adrien! Hi...” Marinette squeaked out, all the while not meeting his gaze. She cleared her throat before continuing, feigning confidence, “I mean, hey, what’s up?”

Her voice still sounded strained, but Adrien was just relieved she hadn’t run away this time. Adrien gently grasped her hand that had been anxiously playing with the hem of her shirt, and all at once, three pairs of eyes looked at him in disbelief. But he was only focused on the pair of beautiful blue in front of him.

“Do you think we could talk for a minute?” His voice flowed out soothingly before his gaze shifted to the boy besides Marinette, becoming hard just like his tone, “Alone.”

Marinette wasn’t given a chance to reject. Adrien had already begun to guide her away delicately; their hands still wrapped tightly together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at summaries, sorry guys. Also, I'm starting to try to brain storm for my next fic already. So far, I got nothing. xD I'll figure it out eventually.
> 
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> AN: As of now (10/11 as I write this), I have the next chapter done. I think it will be second to last chapter. I'm going to wait a few days to post it incase I decide to make any changes. I had several hours of silence at work today, with nothing to do. But you guys won't have to wait much longer. :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone. I could have waited a bit longer to post this, but I figured after the past couple episodes airing, that we could all use some more fan fiction. 😫 No Love Eater spoilers in the comments, please, to respect those who haven't seen it. I didn't want to be spoiled, but I ended up seeing spoilers on Instagram. I'm just going to pretend I didn't see anything and dive into fiction, and other fandoms. 
> 
> On a more positive note though, Multimouse is amazing so I had to draw her and make her my icon. ;-;

Marinette wasn’t sure what was going on. One moment she was chatting with friends, her previous worries shoved into the crevices of her mind, the next—she was being led away by the one who caused her grief in the first place.

After that morning, she had convinced herself that she shouldn’t have confessed. Marinette would rather that they be friends than nothing at all, but it appeared as if she had squashed that friendship like a tiny bug. She had made things too awkward, or so she thought, so why did he want to talk to her now? What was there to say? If it was to officially turn her down, it wasn’t needed. She had already told him that she would move on and stop pursuing him. Turning her down after that would only rub salt in the wound.

A bout of nausea wiggled in her stomach from the anxiety worming its way inside of her. Marinette took a deep steadying breath. She was Ladybug. A super hero who fought against evil almost daily. If she could put her life on the line for the city of Paris, and protect her loved ones, then she could handle a little conversation.

She looked down at her slightly ajar purse where her red kwami resided. Tikki gazed at her affectionately, giving her a firm nod of encouragement. Okay, she could handle this.

Marinette thought back on how Todd and Alya must be feeling right now. Alya wasn’t exactly Adrien’s biggest fan girl right now, but let’s face it, Marinette was the only one to claim that title despite everything. And Todd, well, Todd was a great guy; that same great guy who probably was feeling justifiably upset right now. He was sweet, and caring, and patient; qualities that she had always admired about Adrien. She knew it was wrong to compare the two, but maybe she had been wrong, and it had been too soon to think about dating anyone else.

She had only begun to think about moving on before guys from all over school were coming to ask her out. Todd was one of them, which irked Marinette at first because it was getting old fast, regardless; she didn’t get a bad vibe from him. In fact, he must have noticed she wasn’t impressed with him, because he then went on to say that they could learn more about each other before deciding anything. He wanted to respect her feelings and give her the time she needed, which she deeply appreciated. After a few moments’ deliberation, she told him, “I’ll think about it.”

But now, with the way Adrien held her hand so tenderly in his while she walked carefully behind him, all of those feelings she was trying to forget came rushing to the surface; trying to gasp for air again. Didn’t he know how this made her feel? He had to by now, right?

As it currently stood, she was already having a hard time keeping her confidence and resolve intact, but it seemed impossible to do now. A blush crept onto her cheeks. Marinette tried to fan her warm face with her free hand, but the effort was for naught.

The pair retreated back into the school grounds. With most kids being eager to go home, the school was almost entirely empty. All that remained were the occasional teachers staying to grade papers, prepare their classrooms for the next day, or after school club activities. There were some classrooms that were already deserted for the day; which Adrien led her into one of the empty ones that was hardly used even in the middle of a school day, so they should be safe for a short time from being interrupted.

Slowly Adrien turned to face her, not doing a great job at masking the sadness in his eyes. Marinette’s heart began to ache. Did her confession really make him that uncomfortable? Had she been selfish for wanting him to know her feelings before moving on? _Maybe I should have just done it, instead of announcing it_, she contemplated. No point in worrying about what she couldn’t change, though. She would just try to apologize and make up with him before it could get worse.

Adrien took in a sharp breath, but Marinette suddenly shouted, “I’m sorry!”

The look of bewilderment Adrien was wearing was overwhelming. Marinette had glanced at it briefly before being unable to make eye contact again, instead she returned to looking at the ground as if life’s secrets were written somewhere there.

“W-what? Why are _you_ sorry?” Adrien blundered loudly. Marinette began to nervously play with her signature pigtails that had gotten a bit longer in recent years, twirling strands of hair between her index fingers and thumbs.

“For telling you my feelings. Especially when I said I was moving on. I clearly made you uncomfortable, I shouldn’t have said anything, even if it were to get closure. That was selfish, I’m sorry. You can just forget I said anything.” She carefully explained. A few moments of silence passed and she grew ever more worried, forcing herself to look up to gauge his reaction.

Adrien’s appearance through body language alone was screaming sadness, though it was nothing compared to the expression he held. Marinette felt her heart skip a beat. Did she make it worse? That wasn’t her intention, but she did always seem to make a mess of things when she spoke. She wasn’t always the best with words. The next sentence whispered was enough to make her heart skip a beat all over again, for different reasons.

“I don’t want to forget.”

_Boy, what did you just say?_ Marinette’s eyes widened in surprise as they flickered to meet his own. She must be dreaming, or maybe she hadn’t cleaned her ears properly and was hearing it wrong.

“Wait, wut?” Marinette said unintelligibly.

“I said, I don’t want to forget that you said you love me, Marinette.” He clarified.

There it was again. Okay, now she _knew_ she was dreaming. There was no way that Adrien Agreste would say that to her when he was about to tell her, _‘I’m flattered, but you know I love someone else.’_ A small maniacal laugh escaped her, causing Adrien to look increasingly worried and confused.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Adrien asked cautiously, taking a small single step towards her.

“Me? I’m fine. I could’ve sworn you just said you didn’t want to forget is all. So, I must be dreaming. Because I _know_ I made you uncomfortable, which means you would have been better off not knowing.”

Adrien shook his head in response, “That’s not true, Marinette. I’m actually really glad you told me.” It sounded as if there was a ‘but’ at the end of that statement. Marinette braced herself for the inevitable let down. _Lord, take me now_.

“If it hadn’t been for you opening up to me, I might have never realized.” Adrien admitted through the heavy blush that planted itself on his face. Marinette found herself floundering about inwardly.

“Wait, wut?” She repeated once more, mentally slapping herself for her unattractive word vomit. Adrien chuckled quietly, his hand rubbing his neck as it so often did when he was nervous. It made him that much more adorable in her eyes.

“Well, first and foremost, I wanted to say sorry for this morning. It was rude of me to walk off on you like that.” Adrien apologized, a sorrowful smile on his lips. His lips. Lips. Adrien’s lips. _Focus! _Marinette chided internally. She brought her eyes back up to Adrien’s, giving him her full attention.

“You didn’t make me uncomfortable per se…” He continued, “And it wasn’t really your fault. I was just confused, then I got jealous.”

Jealous? Jealous of what? Had he seen her with Todd? But, he loved someone else, so he couldn’t have been jealous of Todd. There was no reason to be. Although she knew this to be true, she gained the courage to ask, “Jealous of what?”

The blush from earlier came back to life like a fire that hadn’t been completely snuffed out. Marinette couldn’t help but hope he was blushing for her sake; she knew that hopes like that often got smashed back into the dirt where they belonged. She had learned long ago that hoping got her nowhere, yet she couldn't stop herself.

The words that came out of his mouth were what she could only dream of before, “I was jealous of Todd.”

“What!?” Marinette squeaked a bit too loudly, before saying in a quieter tone, “What? Why?”

The blush only continued to deepen.

_Oh._

It felt as if someone stole all of the breath from her lungs. Marinette gaped like a fish out of water, just adding to her unattractive action repertoire for the day. Slowly, she brought a hand up to her opposite arm and squeezed skin in between her fingers; pinching herself.

“Ouch!” She yelped, Adrien’s blush extinguished, he looked at her in concern.

“Marinette?”

“Ah, yes, I’m fine. Uh, but… Why were you jealous of Todd?” She asked hesitantly; unsure of if she really wanted to know the answer. It was still possible she was misunderstanding him.

“Well, it looked as if you guys were flirting.” Adrien said carefully, trying not to offend her. After all, if she chose to flirt with someone else, it was none of his business.

A bit surprised, Marinette replied, “You saw that?”

Adrien nodded with a broken grin. _How embarrassing._ He probably thought she was some floozy now who just wanted attention from any guy and-

“I know it’s unfair of me to get jealous. You deserve to be happy, Marinette. You’re amazing, and one of the most caring people I know, you’re smart, beautif-“ He stopped mid sentence to clear his throat abashedly. Marinette’s own blush began to roar to life with the praise she was receiving. She hadn’t missed that--he said she was beautiful.

“You’re right, Adrien, I do deserve to be happy and I accept your apology. I just want us to at least be friends. I’d be really sad if you weren’t in my life anymore.” Marinette confessed, trying not to get ahead of herself, “Besides, I still don’t understand why you’d be jealous of me and Todd. Aren’t you still in love with some one?”

Thinking about it more intensely, who was he in love with? Marinette had thought it was Kagami, but with her no longer around, did he still have feelings for her? She wouldn’t blame him; she was an exceptional girl. Quirky, but then again, so was Marinette.

“That’s the thing, Marinette. I’ve loved this girl for so long that I couldn’t see who was right in front of me,” his voice full of regret, “Or maybe I should say, behind me.” He said with a soft laugh.

Marinette was floored. No, literally, she fell over to the floor. Adrien couldn’t be confessing to her today. Not right now! She didn’t wash her hair; she didn’t have her lucky socks—this couldn’t be happening!

“Marinette!” Adrien yelled in concern as he ran to stoop beside her, and lend her a helping hand. She gently took it, and sat up.

“I’m fine!” she squealed.

Adrien found himself cackling at her antics. It was so like Marinette. She was stunned at first, still trying to take all of the new information in. She caught up fairly quickly, and joined in on his laughter. The two settled into a comfortable silence before Adrien picked up the conversation again.

“Marinette…” Uh oh, that sounded like that implied ‘but’ from earlier. “If it weren’t for you telling me how you feel, I wouldn’t have noticed my own feelings, but…” Ah, yep, there’s that but. Marinette’s stomach bottomed out. The nausea from earlier making an unwelcomed reappearance.

“The thing is, I like you—a lot actually… But my feelings for that other person haven’t gone away completely. I would like to see where you and I could go, but it wouldn’t be right of me to ask you out when I still have lingering feelings elsewhere. Like I said, you deserve to be happy. I meant that.” Adrien finished his speech, as well as effectively finishing her off.

He liked her, but it wasn’t enough. Just who was this girl who had claimed his heart so completely all these years? Marinette knew he was trying to do right by her, but the sting of the pain was still almost too much to bear. She had to know who this girl was.

“Can I ask you something?” Marinette whispered. Adrien’s gaze held her own, lovingly. It was obvious that he wanted to make her happy, and to make sure she was okay. He was concerned that he hurt her again.

“Anything.”

“Does she love you?” The question came out shakier than intended. If Adrien noticed, he didn’t lead on. Rather, it seemed that question broke something inside of him. The light in his green eyes dimmed. Marinette wished she could take it back; to never have let the question slip past her lips.

“No.” Adrien sighed dejectedly. How anyone could not love him was beyond Marinette’s comprehensive abilities. “She’s turned me down for years, actually. She’s been in love with someone else.” Marinette did not like the hollow laugh that followed.

“She would have to be a fool to not love you, Adrien.” Marinette said comfortingly, placing a gentle hand on his forearm; a small gasp broke free when he placed his larger, warmer hand on top of her own.

“Thanks, Marinette.”

“Can I ask who she is? I always thought it was Kagami but…” She trailed off, leaving it open ended for him to interject.

“It’s not Kagami. Kagami is a great girl, don’t get me wrong, and I had a little crush on her. But…” Adrien paused, unsure if he should continue. Marinette wondered why he would keep it secret from everybody, especially for this long.

“Promise not to laugh?” he asked nervously. This only fueled her curiosity. She nodded in anticipation, but also, she was a bit afraid to finally know who she had been competing with all these years.

“It’s, I guess, a kind of… Celebrity crush.” Adrien’s face turned red in embarrassment. Marinette’s curiosity had peaked. If it was a celebrity crush, how did he meet and get to know her? At one of his father’s galas, perhaps. She, somewhat, patiently waited for him to go on.

“It’s… Ladybug. Silly, right?” He chuckled nervously. Marinette’s heart and lungs ceased to function. The girl she had been fighting for Adrien’s affections—was herself?? Again, Adrien grew worried when Marinette didn’t respond. He waved a hand in front of her vacant eyes.

“Marinette, are you alright??” But she wasn’t alright. Far from it, in fact. She began to realize that the puzzle pieces didn’t fit correctly. Adrien had said that Ladybug had rejected him repeatedly, and that Ladybug was in love with someone else. Also, when she found out that Adrien loved someone, he had said “I know, I’m not good with jokes. The girl I’m in love with doesn’t like them either.” Seeing as she herself was Ladybug, who he was apparently in love with, she would remember if any of these events occurred between her and Adrien. They hadn’t. Only with Chat Noir.

All at once, memories of her and Chat Noir came flooding to the water front of her mind—only, the images of Chat were replaced by Adrien’s face. Similarities in their personalities started to match up. The way they laughed, their voices, their kindness, their bravery and fencing abilities. The more she pieced together, the more sense it made.

Inside her purse, Tikki squeaked in acknowledgement. She must have felt the shift inside of Marinette. There was nothing Marinette could have done. She hadn’t searched for his identity; it just came flying into her lap. Tikki’s tiny noise was enough to wash away any shadow of a doubt. Marinette knew her kwami well enough to know just what they squeak meant. It meant she had discovered something she shouldn’t have.

Adrien grew increasingly panicked, “You know what? You’re right, it’s stupid, just forget it. Uh, hey, I should really get going to practice so uh, I’ll see ya later!” The words spilled out of his mouth clumsily. He got up from beside her, and turned to leave in a hurry, but a soft hand grasped his once more. Adrien, shocked and confused, turned to see her gleaming eyes peering up at him.

Marinette decided she would take that leap of faith. She already knew it was Chat. There was no doubt lingering any longer, but depending on how he reacted; it would change how she approached it going forward.

“Chat Noir.” She murmured sweetly; those two words froze Adrien in place. Marinette could feel his palms begin to sweat as he tried to come up with some sort of explanation or excuse.

“W-what? Y-You think I’m Chat Noir? Ha! Please, I’m not as cool as that cat.” He laughed forcibly. His bad reasoning and stuttering only making it more obvious to her now. Any normal person with ‘just a celebrity crush’ would assume she meant that the person Ladybug must be in love with, is Chat Noir. Adrien, however, went right into defense mode. The same coy smirk Marinette wore yesterday came prancing back.

Standing to be more level with him, well as much as she could be given her small stature, her gaze was unwavering. All previous nervousness and sadness, lost.

“No, that’s not true. Besides,” She said sweetly, “I would recognize my kitty anywhere. Well, at least I should have.” This time, it was Adrien who was left flabbergasted.

Mimicking Marinette from earlier, “Wait, wut?” was all that was able to come out of his mouth.

Marinette laughed heartily. Although she was mortified about rejecting Adrien, the one she loved, for years; she couldn’t help but find the whole thing ridiculous. For years, they had danced around each other and their feelings; being in love with each other unknowingly the entire time. If she didn’t laugh about it, she’d probably cry instead.

A black blur appeared beside Adrien’s head, “Do you understand what I meant now??” The black kwami grumbled. Adrien’s eyes widened in fear.

“Plagg, what are you doing!?” Apparently, it hadn’t clicked in Adrien’s mind yet. A sigh could be heard from Marinette’s purse. The same purse she held close to her at all times.

Tikki flew up beside Marinette, and the realization hit Adrien like a truck.

“Wha- you’re- but you-! You’re Ladybug!?” He said a little too loudly. Marinette and the kwamis shushed him.

Placing a slender, delicate finger on his lips; she dared to utter, “I guess the _cat_ is out of the bag.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost at the end, guys! I'm going to try to end it next chapter, but it may end up getting split in two. We will see. ^-^;


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite Tikki's dissaproval, Marinette revealed herself to Adrien. Now Marinette, Adrien, Tikki, and not really Plagg, decide how things should go from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back everyone! I first want to say, thank you all for the amazing support I got on Chapter 6! I honestly was blown away by the amount of people enjoying this warm up fic. Which, I looked back at the first couple chapters and I'm surprised any of you stuck around. Yikes. xD But, I can see the improvement already, and I'm so happy to have you all around for the ride!
> 
> That being said, I'm sorry this chapter came so late. I became so depressed, I lost interest in everything. I would open a blank page to start writing and almost immediately close it again. I really struggled to write this, and I'm sorry if it shows.
> 
> I've also written this story to be SOMEWHAT canon compliant, which if you've seen Chat Blanc, I actually wrote some stuff in here before it came out that loosely pertained to it. I'm a psychic 0.0 but I also wrote a spoiler in here about something from the finale that I'm glad I caught and fixed lul. My bad. 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

_Uh oh. _  
  
  
Had Marinette broken Adrien? She began to suspect that she had when she gazed upon his mouth that gaped like a fish.   
  
  
Perhaps, she thought, she should try to break him from his trance. Marinette began to rapidly wave her hands in front of his vacant eyes; trying to dispel the incantation he was seemingly under. No such luck. Okay, another approach.   
  
  
“Adrien?” Marinette began quietly. When no answer came, she raised her voice significantly higher, but just enough that no one would hear them from the outside the classroom.   
  
  
“Adrien!” Nothing.   
  
  
“Ah, don’t worry about it, Marinette. He gets like this sometimes. If we keep talking, he’ll catch up.” Plagg piped up to explain nonchalantly. Marinette and Tikki exchanged confused glances.   
  
  
Helping himself, Plagg reached into Adrien’s shirt pocket—pulling out a piece of camembert. He twirled it on his tiny paw before taking a bite. With a mouthful of stinky cheese, he asked, “So, how have you been, Sugarcube?”   
  
  
Tikki shied away from Plagg in disgust. Marinette recalled Tikki telling her that she never really did like his choice of treats. She couldn’t stand the thought of eating something that smelled like it belonged in a dirty locker-room.   
  
  
“I’ve told you before, don’t call me Sugarcube!” Tikki proclaimed firmly. Something about their interactions reminded Marinette of another certain black and red duo.   
  
  
“Lighten up, Sugarcube! There’s no need to be so uptight when camembert exists!” Plagg said as he stuffed the rest of the slice of cheese into his gullet.   
  
  
“Plagg, this is serious! Our masters know each other’s identities now. You know what this means, don’t you?” She spoke softly, and inquisitively. Her question appeared to strike a chord with him. The cheese in his throat had to be pushed down with a massive gulp.   
  
  
“Oh.” Was all that he could say in response. Marinette started to panic. She had been warned about the consequences about learning each other’s identities, but surely something could be done. Right? She couldn’t imagine her life without Tikki or Chat Noir now. She loved being Ladybug, but to have to give that all up, Marinette didn’t think she would be able to do it. She would just have to convince Tikki.   
  
  
She had become the new guardian a couple years ago. There should be an exception. After all, if she is supposed to guard and protect the Miraculous, shouldn’t she know who has the most destructive one?   
  
  
“Y-y-you're Ladybug!?”   
  
  
Adrien’s sudden outburst startled the two girls, with Plagg apparently used to it. Marinette couldn’t help but question how often it happened for Plagg to be unfazed.   
  
  
“Heyyyy, buddy! Welcome back. And yeah, she kind of already said that.” Plagg teased—causing a blush to spread over the poor flustered boy’s cheeks. Marinette realized she had never seen Adrien or Chat Noir lose his composure like this. His disheveled state left her in a fit of giggles, which only embarrassed Adrien more.   
  
  
“What’s so funny?” He asked with a somewhat hurt tone of voice.   
  
  
“I’m sorry.” She apologized through stifled laughter, biting her lip to take her mind away from the how adorable she found him to be in that moment. “Nothing is funny, except you spaced out. It was cute.”   
  
  
If Marinette had thought it was impossible for Adrien’s complexion to be any redder than before, his face gave away that, no, it was in fact possible. His face resembled a cooked New England lobster.   
  
  
A few days ago, she didn’t have this kind of power over Adrien. He held all the cards in his hands, but somehow their roles had reversed. He was the bumbling, blushing idiot, and she was calm. She was the dealer now, and she found that she liked this position much better.   
  
  
“C-cute?” It was as if he had forgotten that Marinette had confessed her love to him just the day before. Like he didn’t think she would find him cute, just because she found out that he was Chat Noir. She turned Chat down not because she didn’t have any feelings for him at all, but her love for Adrien was stronger.   
  
  
In all actuality, she found that cat suit, and the boy underneath it, to be quite alluring; though before today, she would’ve never admitted to it. Especially not to the sly cat himself. Now knowing that it was Adrien who wore it… She found it to be getting hotter under her skin suddenly. Had someone turned up the heat? Fanning herself with her hand in an attempt to cool her warm face, she decided that him not remembering simply wouldn’t do. With a small spring in her step, she approached him.   
  
  
“Yes, cute.” A sweet blush coating her cheeks. Adrien’s eyes became transfixed on her own, and it was like he finally fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. A bit slow, Marinette noted, but she knew it was a lot to take in.   
  
  
Unknowingly, their bodies started to gravitate towards each other—a powerful magnetic force at work. For a moment, nothing else existed aside from her and him. Their bodies and souls screamed out for one another now that their identities were revealed; longing to revel in each other’s embrace, yet hesitant to take that first real step.   
  
  
Marinette’s lips parted slightly, automatically drawing Adrien’s eyes to them. The air was thick with anticipation and uncertainty as they drew closer; their kwamis becoming only a memory with their thoughts consumed by the person who stood before them. Adrien wondered if it was all a dream or some new ploy Hawkmoth had created to trick him—meanwhile Marinette thought back on all the times she could have already been on the receiving end of Adrien’s affections, and silently cursed her supposed title of “Lady Luck”.   
  
  
A loud exaggeration of throat clearing dispelled the magical moment between them. Startled, they realized how close in proximity that they had become—and with an awkward glance, they created some distance between themselves despite not wanting to.   
  
  
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but aren’t you two forgetting something? Someone? Something about secret identities and the safety of loved ones? Someone who’s name starts with HAWKMOTH?” The built-up tension from Tikki exploding from her tiny kwami body.   
  
  
Adrien shot a panicked look towards Marinette. After years of standing by each other’s side, she could tell his brain had begun to register that, although he was happy to know his lady was finally in love with him, he didn’t want either of them to have to give up their miraculous.   
  
  
“Tikki,” Marinette started cautiously, only to be cut off by the frantic floating bug.   
  
  
“No, Marinette, you aren’t thinking clearly!”   
  
  
She couldn’t argue with that. For years she had told Chat that they couldn’t reveal their identities because it was too dangerous. She had always been the level-headed one when it came to protecting their civilian selves, but when she was faced with knowing that the person she was in love with, loved her back—she became just as irresponsible as he had always wanted to be. Talk about double standards.   
  
  
“You’re right, maybe I wasn’t thinking clearly by telling him who I am, but I didn’t mean to find out his identity!” Marinette said in defense of herself. Tikki’s tiny mouth opened as if to say something before closing it again. Marinette supposed that meant she could keep explaining her thoughts.   
  
  
“We have done everything asked of us. From you, and Plagg to Master Fu… We have kept our identities secret all this time, lied to our friends, our families, and I even became the new guardian. Don’t you think I SHOULD know who has the power of destruction? What if Adrien went rogue?”   
  
  
“Hey!” Adrien objected, offended yet couldn’t deny that she had a point about needing to know who had it.   
  
  
“Sorry,” she mumbled, “but Plagg in the wrong hands would be devastating. Knowing who has him is important.” She wore an apologetic smile that was directed at Adrien. His facial features softened, and he nodded in understanding.   
  
  
Tikki softened as well, but she was still concerned about their safety, “I understand, Marinette. Master Fu had to know because he gave you both your miraculous and I think he chose perfectly. However, he wasn’t fighting anymore. You two fight together, what happens if either one of you get akumatized, and you spill each other’s secret?”   
  
  
Marinette knew Tikki had a good point as well. Why couldn’t all of this be simpler?   
  
  
She knew it was risky to know who Chat was, and vice versa, yet she went ahead and told him her identity. Tikki was right, she hadn’t been thinking straight. She could have known who Chat was, but not told him that she was Ladybug. He didn’t have to know. It would have been a little bit safer that way, but instead she potentially put them both at risk. Oh well, it was too late to dwell on that now. There was no going back in time or miraculous ladybugs to undo her mistake.   
  
  
If she was being honest, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to know who Chat was, and not tell him about herself anyways. He was her partner, and she hated keeping secrets from him. She would just have to make sure their secret stayed between them. Somehow.   
  
  
“You’re right, Tikki, it is dangerous.” Marinette said as she felt Adrien stiffen beside her. She could tell he was worrying about how she was going to handle this as the new guardian; whether she would take his miraculous or not. In an attempt to soothe his worried thoughts, she gently placed her hand on his arm. He appeared confused, but welcomed the warm contact, nonetheless.   
  
  
“But Tikki, have I ever let you down?” She asked earnestly, almost afraid of Tikki’s answer. Had she let her down before and didn’t realize it? Well, aside from the moment she revealed her identity to Chat, which was oh… Two minutes ago. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked her that just yet.   
  
  
Despite being a relatively new disappointment to her kwami, Marinette was pleasantly surprised by the soft whisper of the word, “No.”   
  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Marinette said, “Then I’m asking you to trust not only me, but Adrien too.”   
  
  
She snuck a peak at his face. His smile warm, and affectionate. It was the same way Chat had looked at Ladybug all these years. Marinette swore she could physically see the love in his eyes. Such as those goofy cartoons that had hearts for eyes when they were in love. Her heart melted at the sentiment. Feeling her face start to heat up despite herself, she cleared her throat and looked back at the little red deity.   
  
  
“I won’t lie, I’m still nervous about all of this, but I do trust you Marinette. You’re the best Ladybug I’ve ever had. Just, both of you will need to be extra careful, okay?” Tikki said apprehensively. Although Marinette knew that Tikki couldn’t really stop her, or take the miraculous from them, it was important to her that they were on the same page. Their bond needed to remain strong, and Tikki’s opinion meant the world to her.   
  
  
“Okay,” Marinette and Adrien replied in unison. Their synchronicity caused them to stare at each other, both wearing matching blushes.   
  
  
“Whaaaaaat!?” Plagg said dramatically. Crossing his arms in front of his body, he looked at Tikki in disapproval. Not because Adrien and Marinette were not going to be losing their miraculous, but for a cattier reason.   
  
  
“That’s all you’re going to say, Sugarcube? I destroy the dinosaurs one time and I never hear the end of it, but they reveal their identities and you practically kiss them. Unbelievable!”   
  
  
Through an exasperated sigh, Tikki stated, “I don’t think you can really compare the two...”   
  
  
Marinette met Adrien’s eyes once again, sharing a snicker amongst themselves.   
  
  
With Tikki’s tiny tiff out of the way, they were brought back to thinking about what all of this meant for the two of them. Now that they were both aware of their feelings, were they going to start something more? Marinette had to know, and Adrien looked just as anxious as her to find out.   
  
  
“Marinette,” Adrien said, a small tremor in his voice due to his nerves at the possibility of what they could now be; or maybe it was due to how many times he had already been rejected by Ladybug, and he was afraid to ask the question he was yearning to. Marinette’s heart broke at the thought. Didn’t he know by all that had happened in not only the past day, but all their time together in and out of the suit that she absolutely adored him? Maybe she needed to be clearer.   
  
  
“Adrien?” Marinette asked, trying to maintain her poise, instead of throwing caution to the wind and getting ahead of herself by leaping into his arms.   
  
  
“So, I know this is probably silly, but do you still... I don’t know... Uh... Like me?” The moment the question left his lips, Marinette’s expression fell. Did he really have that little faith in her character? No, she couldn’t blame him. If she had been in his position, perhaps she would have felt the same uncertainty. However, Adrien caught on to her sudden mood shift and began scrambling.   
  
  
“I-I mean! I’m sorry, just forget I asked that.” He said while adverting her gaze and rubbing the back of his neck nervously.   
  
  
Moving a hand up to his raised arm that rested at this neck, Marinette slipped her hand towards his own, bringing it down in between them and holding it gingerly. Unable to look away from her any longer, he turned his face down to meet the blue eyes that held his very soul. The heat he had in his cheeks earlier, resurfaced.   
  
  
“Adrien... Kitty. I have always loved you. Both sides of you, even if I didn’t realize it. I couldn’t let myself. Although, you did get on my nerves sometimes with your cat puns.” Marinette giggled breathlessly; another coy smirk found its way onto her lips.   
  
  
“Whaaat? It’s im_paws_ible to hate my puns! You _cat_ to be _kitten_ me right_ meow_!” Adrien declared with feigned sorrow, which was followed up by a playful slap on his chest from Marinette and horrified laughter. Horrified, that she was finding those same corny jokes funny now, likely due to the high she was experiencing in that moment.   
  
  
“You’re _paws_itively ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous, even.” Marinette’s words mocking both him and his childhood friend. “But now that you know how I feel about you and all of this, where do you want to go with it?”   
  
  
A muffled gag from their black kwami friend could be heard, causing Adrien to throw a sneer his way, before then looking at their joined hands and intertwined their fingers. “Do you really even have to ask?”   
  
  
Marinette could feel the lingering trepidation in her heart drift away, leaving her feeling lighter. Almost as if she were currently soaring through Paris as her superheroine alter ego. Everything she had always yearned for now stood within her reach. No longer an unattainable desire. Finally, it wasn’t a dream. He wanted this. He wanted_ her_.   
  
  
Thankfully for her, he had always been an impulsive person. If he felt something, he was quick to act on it. To her, it was one of his best, but also worst, qualities. Being impulsive could be dangerous in a fight against an akuma. However, when it came to love, this time it had worked out in her favor.   
  
  
She had been ready to give him up mere hours ago. If he hadn’t jumped at the chance to say how he felt, their identities wouldn’t have been revealed, they wouldn’t have realized they both had loved each other since they first met, and she wouldn’t have been able to see how he was looking at her right now. With love, as clear as the Weddell Sea— written all over his face.   
  
  
The couple began to lean in once more, eyes slowly closing in preparation for their lips to meet. Although this was everything Marinette had waited for, and it felt right with him, there was something that felt wrong.   
  
  
The revelation hit her unexpectedly.   
  
  
Quickly, she pulled away, their kiss interrupted before it could even truly begin. Dazed and confused, Adrien asked, “What’s wrong?”   
  
  
His pained expression was enough to send a pang of guilt straight through her chest.   
  
  
“Oh, no no no! Nothing’s wrong really, it’s just, there’s something I have to do first.” She rushed to reassure him, carefully placing a tender touch on his cheek with the hand that was not enveloped in his. She stroked it softly with her thumb, causing Adrien to lean into her palm. There was still a hint of sadness and doubt in his eyes.   
  
  
“Something you have to do? What?” He inquired. Adrien had already mentioned being jealous of Todd, even though nothing was ever actually going on with them, Todd’s true intentions aside. Because of this, Marinette assumed Adrien wouldn’t particularly like what she was going to say, but she felt that it was the right thing to do.   
  
  
“Well, we kind of left two very confused people behind... I just want to clear some things up with them.” She cautiously explained.   
  
  
“You mean Todd and Alya? Well, Alya is not very surprised, I can tell you that.”   
  
  
Oh no, did this mean what she thought it did?   
  
  
“Don’t tell me. Alya talked to you?” Marinette groaned, untangling their fingers to bring her hands up to hide her face. Adrien chuckled and placed his thumb on her chin, his other fingers underneath and lifted her face up towards his.   
  
  
“Yeah, she did. It wasn’t that bad, though.” A short pause, “Okay, she was a little scary, but she went relatively easy on me.”   
  
  
With an abrupt turn, Marinette faced away from Adrien, her small hands in fists down by her side. “I swear, when I get a hold of her-” Another chortle came from behind her.   
  
  
“She’s a great friend, isn’t she?” He asked rhetorically. Marinette twirled towards him with a pleased grin. She was truly lucky to have Alya who always had her back. Even if she didn’t want her interference sometimes, she meant well.   
  
  
“Yeah, she really is.” Marinette stated gleefully. Adrien’s face became somber. Was he pouting? She couldn’t help but find it adorable.   
  
  
“So, what are you going to say to Todd?”   
  
  
“I just want to explain that we’re dating now. I doubt he would be blindsided by it, but I guess he has liked me for a while. He deserves to hear it from me before he sees us together, don’t you think?” A myriad of emotions flashed across Adrien’s face. A mixture of happiness, jealously, and guilt. Prancing to his side, Marinette planted a soft kiss on the cheek she had laid claim to the day before.   
  
  
“Don’t worry, I’m all yours,” she murmured before practically skipping to the door.   
  
  
Upon making it to the doorway, Adrien, still glued to the same spot in the room, spluttered “I-I wasn’t worried!”   
  
  
Another chime of giggles filled the air, “_Sure_ you weren’t. By the way, I think you should apologize to Todd for how we left earlier. You’ve just been really rude today, huh?”   
  
  
Marinette didn’t think she would ever get tired of seeing him red in the face because of her, even if this time it was because he was embarrassed by how he acted.   
  
  
“Okay, that’s it, Sassinette!” He called out before giving way to chase. A squeak escaped her lips and she broke into a run. Both of their laughter ringing throughout the school grounds, along with the disapproving shouts from lingering teachers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter really will be the last one... I think. LOL Hey, the scene where Adrien zones out was inspired by something else I've seen but I, for the life of me, cannot remember where. You get extra points if you can tell me. You win nothing but my everlasting gratitude. <3
> 
> Also, some good news, I have thought of something for my next fanfic. Hopefully you Marichat fans will like it! I want to make it a multichapter series, and add action scenes instead of only "drama". I hope I can deliver an amazing story. :D I'm also open to suggestions/prompts if anyone has something they would like to read. Sometimes, writing more than one thing can help keep the creative juices flowing.


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